Rafael Duk

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Duk and the second or maternal family name is Delgado.

Rafael Duk Delgado (born 1962/63) is a Mexican gridiron football coach and former player who is the current head coach of the Burros Blancos IPN. He played college football with the Pieles Rojas IPN [es], winning an ONEFA national championship in 1989. As a head coach, Duk won the 2000 ONEFA national championship with the Borregos Salvajes CEM before leading the Mexicas CDMX to a win in Tazón México III in 2018.

Rafael Duk

Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	Burros Blancos IPN
Biographical details
Born	1962 or 1963 (age 61–62)[1]
Alma mater	IPN
Playing career
1984–1989	Pieles Rojas IPN
Position(s)	Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1994–2001	ITESM CEM
2002	Pieles Rojas A.C.
2003	UAdeC
2004	Petroleros de Pemex
2005	Pieles Rojas A.C.
2005–2012	UVM
2016–2017	Raptors de Naucalpan
2018	Mexicas CDMX
2019–2022	Bulldogs de Naucalpan
2019–2022	Búhos IPN
2023–present	Burros Blancos IPN
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
As player: 1 ONEFA (1989) As head coach: 1 Tazón México (III) 1 ONEFA (2000) 2 ONEFA National Conference (1996, 2005) 1 ONEFA National Central Conference (2022) 1 FADEMAC (2019) 1 Liga OMFA Pro [es] (2002)
Awards
6 ONEFA Coach of the Year (1996–2000, 2005)

Rafael Duk

Medal record
Men's American football
Head coach for  Mexico
IFAF U19 World Championship
	2014 Kuwait	Team
	2016 Harbin	Team
NFL Global Junior Championship
	2003 San Diego	Team
	2007 Miami	Team
Assistant head coach for  Mexico
World Championship
	2003 Germany	Team
Offensive coordinator for  Mexico
World Championship
	1999 Palermo	Team

Playing career

Duk played college football with the Pieles Rojas IPN at the guard position, representing the Instituto Politécnico Nacional from 1984 to 1989.^[2] He was a part of the 1989 ONEFA national championship team under head coach Manuel Rodero.^[2]

Coaching career

Duk was hired as the first head coach of the Borregos Salvajes CEM for their debut season in ONEFA in 1994, where they began in the second-tier National Conference.^[3] He led the team to its historic first win in their opening game, beating the Toros Salvajes Chapingo [es] 39–27.^[3] Duk guided the team to a 6–1 record and an appearance in the National Conference championship game, where they lost 13–0 to the Panteras Negras UAM.^[3] After losing in the championship game again the following year, the team was successful in its third attempt, defeating the Lobos UAdeC [es] 28–6 in the 1996 National Conference championship game after an undefeated season and earning promotion to the 10 Grandes Conference – the highest ONEFA tier.^[3][4]

In 2000, Duk led the Borregos Salvajes CEM to another undefeated season and its first-ever ONEFA national championship, defeating the Borregos Salvajes Monterrey 38–28 in the 10 Grandes Conference final.^[4][5] He earned five consecutive ONEFA Coach of the Year awards from 1996 to 2000.^[4] Duk quit following the 2001 season, in which his team was eliminated in the semifinals by the Auténticos Tigres UANL.^[6][7]

Duk won a Liga OMFA Pro [es] championship in 2002 as head coach of the semi-pro Pieles Rojas A.C.^[4] In 2003, he coached the Lobos UAdeC of the Autonomous University of Coahuila, though the team finished the season with a losing record.^[8] He returned to the semi-pro ranks after that, coaching the Petroleros de Pemex in 2004 and the Pieles Rojas A.C. in 2005.^[4]

Linces UVM

Duk took the reins of the Linces UVM of the Universidad del Valle de México in 2005 as the new team's first-ever head coach.^[9][10] In his first season, he led the team to a promotion to the top-tier 12 Grandes Conference after winning the second-tier National Conference title.^[10][11] Duk earned his sixth ONEFA Coach of the Year award and became the first head coach to achieve promotion to the top tier with two different teams.^[4] He was replaced by Roberto Cervantes, his defensive coordinator, following the 2012 season.^[12]

Duk was subsequently offered the head coaching job of the Toros Salvajes Chapingo, but was unable to accept for personal reasons.^[2]

Raptors de Naucalpan

In November 2015, Duk was announced as the first head coach of the Raptors de Naucalpan, members of a new professional spring league called the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA).^[13] In the league's inaugural season in 2016, the team finished the season with a 4–2 record and reached Tazón México I, the first edition of the LFA championship game, where they lost 29–13 to the Mayas CDMX.^[14][15]

In 2017, Duk led the Raptors to a 5–2 record and a first-place finish in the North Division, with league MVP Bruno Márquez at quarterback. However, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs after suffering a 13–10 defeat to the Dinos de Saltillo.^[16]

Mexicas CDMX

In October 2017, Duk joined another LFA team, the Mexicas CDMX, as their new head coach.^[17] In his only season with the team, he led the Mexicas to its first league championship with a 17–0 victory over the Raptors de Naucalpan in Tazón México III after finishing the regular season with a 4–3 record.^[18][19]

Bulldogs de Naucalpan

In September 2018, Duk was announced as the head coach of the Bulldogs de Naucalpan of the Liga de Football Pro (later Fútbol Americano de México), a new football league that began its inaugural season that February to compete with the LFA.^[20]

Búhos IPN

In 2019, Duk was named the sixth head coach in the history of the Búhos IPN program, which was returning to Mexican football for the first time since 1985.^[21][22] In his first year at the helm, he led the team to an undefeated season capped off by a 41–15 victory over the Lobos Plateados IPN to win the FADEMAC league title.^[22][23] The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the Búhos returned to ONEFA, after a 36-year absence, as a member of its Center-South Conference.^[21][22] Duk led the team to a 3–1 record, sitting atop of the Group A standings when the rest of the season was also cancelled.^[22][24] The Búhos subsequently won the third-tier National Central Conference title in 2022, defeating the Frailes del Tepeyac [es] 20–17 in the final.^[25][26]

Burros Blancos IPN

Duk was named the head coach of the Burros Blancos IPN [es] ahead of the 2023 season.^[27][28]

National team

Duk served as the offensive coordinator for the Mexico national team at the 1999 IFAF World Championship held in Italy, helping the team win a silver medal.^[4] He won another silver medal at the 2003 edition held in Germany, this time as an assistant head coach.^[4]

As a head coach, Duk led Team Mexico to bronze medals at the 2003 and 2007 NFL Global Junior Championships held in San Diego and Miami, respectively.^[1] He also commandeered the Mexico under-19 national team to consecutive bronze medals at the 2014 and 2016 editions of the IFAF U-19 World Championship held in Kuwait and China, respectively.^[1]

Personal life

Duk studied business administration at the Universidad del Valle de México.^[7]

Duk coached his son, Rafael Duk Ochoa, on the Búhos IPN.^[29]

References

1. "Rafal [sic] Duk; El comandante de los Bulldogs de Naucalpan" (in Spanish). Fútbol Americano de México. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
2. "Rafael Duk, un campeón nacional tanto como jugador como coach". Máximo Avance (in Spanish). 2 November 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
3. "Equipos Primera Fuerza 2015 | Borregos Salvajes del ITESM Campus Estado de México" (in Spanish). CONADEIP. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
4. "Coach Rafael Duk | Head Coach de RAPTORS" (in Spanish). Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional. 17 September 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
5. "Supremacía del CEM". ESPN Deportes (in Spanish). 11 November 2000. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
6. Juárez, Marisol (4 May 2002). "Renuncia Rafael Duk a los Borregos del Tec". Reforma (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 January 2023 – via vLex México. (registration required)
7. Juárez, Marisol (8 May 2002). "Analiza Duk ofertas de trabajo". Reforma (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 January 2023 – via vLex México. (registration required)
8. "ONEFA Postemporada 2005". ESPN Deportes (in Spanish). 3 November 2005. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
9. "Termina la era de Rafael Duk con los Linces UVM". Máximo Avance (in Spanish). 26 June 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
10. "Conferencia de los 14-Grandes, Grupo "B"". El Economista (in Spanish). 27 August 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
11. Zavala, Rozendo (6 November 2005). "¡Rugen como grandes!". Reforma (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 January 2023 – via vLex México. (registration required)
12. "Deja Coach Rafael Duk a los Linces Uvm". Notimex (in Spanish). 28 June 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2023 – via vLex México. (registration required)
13. Rivera, Ramiro (19 November 2015). "Ya hay Liga; en febrero inicia el futbol americano profesional en México". Sin Embargo. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
14. "Presentan trofeo del 1er Tazón México – LFA" (in Spanish). Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional. 8 April 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
15. Cruz, Michel (10 April 2016). "Mayas arrasa con Raptors en el Tazón México I". Milenio (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 January 2023.
16. "Dinos sorprende a Raptors para conquistar la División Under Armour". Máximo Avance (in Spanish). 24 April 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
17. Meza, Humberto (5 October 2017). "¡Eagles se transforma en Mexicas!". La Prensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 January 2023.
18. "Mexicas capture Tazón México III title in shutout win". American Football International. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
19. "Cinco años cinco Coaches" (in Spanish). Mexicas CDMX. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
20. "Bulldogs de Naucalpan, primera franquicia con "rostro" de la LFP". Máximo Avance (in Spanish). 18 September 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
21. Larios Pérez, Salvador (9 November 2021). "Búhos IPN: Una Oportunidad del Destino" (in Spanish). ONEFA. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
22. "«Aprender y conocer lo que significa jugar en ONEFA»: Duk". Servicios de Información Masiva (in Spanish). 6 November 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
23. "Búhos IPN, primer campeón de la Conferencia Mayor Fademac 2019". Milenio (in Spanish). 4 November 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
24. "Estadísticas Centro-Sur: Líderes Liga Mayor 2021". Receptor (in Spanish). 9 December 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
25. González, Canndelario (17 November 2022). "Onefa: Es un fin de Semana Norteño". MAG Deportes (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 January 2023.
26. "¡Búhos Campeón!" (in Spanish). Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
27. García Ramos, Alberto (11 January 2023). "Proponen desaparecer Búhos IPN para Mayor 2023". Receptor (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 January 2023.
28. "Presentan a Rafael Duk como Head Coach de Burros Blancos" (in Spanish). Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
29. "Debut triunfal de Duk en juvenil ONEFA". Servicios de Información Masiva (in Spanish). 5 October 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2023.